Mark of Grima
by drunkdragon
Summary: Clouded by his own thoughts, Robin makes the decision that sets him free. RobinxLucina


Mark of Grima

Chrom descended the dark flight of stairs, the path lit only by the torches on the side of the wall. Emmeryn had never gone down the path, stating that no matter how heinous, no matter how devious or criminal-minded or opposing they were to her, she would never put someone down in here. For those deserving, she personally made sure that such persons, those considered irredeemable by society, were swiftly and fairly judged and dealt with.

He did his best to follow that path, but found himself lacking, especially now with what he was going to say and ask for. He hated that he had to do it, but it was necessary. Yet even now, as he walked down the path alone with key in hand, intent on righting what he felt was the worst wrong all along, he was wary about what was going to happen. But that was what the rope was for.

Coming to the last step, Chrom found himself face to face with a heavy wooden door that had only begun to see renewed use in the last fifteen years, since the day when Emmeryn first condemned the place. With trepidation he walked up to it and took a deep breath, steeling himself before pushing it open and entering the dungeon.

He had news to share, both good and bad.

* * *

Sitting at his desk, Robin scribbled away at notes and formations. He needed to finish them up and have them delivered to Virion. The man wasn't as good as he was, but he was their next best strategist. He would be able to understand and incorporate what he was writing. Though he could only lead by proxy, he trusted the duke enough to determine the best path as battles unfolded.

It had been like that for months. Ever since Chrom found out about him and Lucina, Robin had been removed from active duty, instead being relayed plans and procedures to bounce back campaign paths and general strategies.

There was a quick tapping behind him and he spun around to see Lucina in the dim lighting, rapping her knuckles against wall. Her hair was a dark blue, purple even, in the low orange light, but her form was a sight for his sore eyes.

"Lucina!" He could feel a smile growing and he walked to her. "You're back from the summit already?"

"Mt. Prism was less defended than I thought it would be," she smiled, lips growing wide. "Virion was able to-"

A metal cuff around Robin kept him from going further, the iron chain pulling taught against the wall. His smile fell, remembering why he was in there.

Seeing her frown, she remembered why as well. Still, he angled himself so that he was reaching as far as he could, and when his hand met Lucina's, who had to stick her arm in between the cell bars, a forlorn smile came back.

"It's not right." She said, pained anger behind each letter, "You don't belong in here. I… I love you and yet he locks you in here."

"And he still wants me to assist him," he chuckled. "At least the accommodations aren't terrible," he jerked his head towards the bed. "And the food they send is good."

"Still, that doesn't-"

The dungeon door opened and much to their shared reluctance, Lucina was forced to let him go. "My father…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll be back."

"I know you will."

She let her soft footsteps be masked by his heavy ones, her feet hitting the ground only when his did. His eyes followed her until she was no longer in his vision, but he knew that she was simply hiding around the corner, out of Chrom's vision.

Just like she did to everyone else that wasn't Robin. They still did not know that she was there among them, fighting for them in the shadows. It amazed him at first, how she was so deft at hiding away and being where she needed to be at all the right times and places.

She must have learned a few tricks from Gaius before she came back to the past. Too bad she didn't know lock picking.

"Speaking with her again?"

Chrom came into view. Robin's eyes turned to him and he sighed. "You're very good at interrupting us. How was Mt. Prism?"

"We were expecting more, considering the growing power Grima has gained." He walked over to the chair he always sat on when he visited. "But we were able to fight through."

"And the Awakening Ritual?"

"Successful," Chrom's hand slid down to the sheathed Falchion at his side, passing over the rope at his side. "But we need to act soon. The longer we wait, the stronger Grima becomes."

"Right… right. Where is our next destination?"

The lord remained silent, letting his eyes close and letting his elbows rest on his knees, hands knotted below his chin.

"Tell me about my daughter."

"Again?" Robin knew why he asked the question, but protested no further.

"Yes… again, please."

"… She has your hair color." Robin started after taking a breath. "It's nice and long, fitting for her position. She looks a little like her mother, but she's got your nose. And in her left eye, she has the Mark of the Exalt, and it's breathtaking to see, crystal clear."

"But I like the way she smiles. It's like she's relearning how to do so, and though it's not always there, when it comes out… it's beautiful."

Silence again, but it was broken by a soft jingling. Looking at Chrom again, the lord had stood up and was setting down a key on the chair with a heavy clack. He could have sworn he heard a small gasp from Lucina.

"Our next destination is Grima itself. I am told by Naga that if I am to land the strike, it will only sleep and return. But to truly defeat it, I need you to land the final blow because… you are-"

"Yes, because I am Grima. You relayed that fact to me after you got the Fire Emblem back."

"But if you do, you will pass away from this world. You may return, but even Naga is unsure of that." Chrom sighed before speaking again. "You're the best man we have when it comes to leading an army. Virion is good, but you're far better. In an hour, guards will come down and escort you out to your quarters." He placed the rope next to it. "They will bind you, but it will be for your own safety. After you've settled in, we will begin planning once again."

"Hah… how true that is," he responded dryly, his mind still grinding away at the cost Chrom alluded to.

"I have no right to ask you to throw away your life like this, especially when I have treated you so. When the time comes, I'll leave that decision in your hands and I will be with you. Tell Lucina I said hello, Robin." Chrom then walked out of his sight, and the dungeon door closed. No sooner had the heavy door shut did Lucina's footsteps, this time hurried and with abandon, echo closer to him until she was holding the key and desperately fitting it into the lock.

"Your father says-"

"Not now, Robin," the gate swung open and she placed the key exactly where she picked it up from. She then dashed into the room and clung to his body, pushing him down onto the soft bed and grinding her waist against his. She dove into his lips and he let her explore him like she always did.

"We have an hour. I intend to make the most of it." She began to partially undress herself, undoing the blue coat she always wore. "I'm sorry if I am overeager. My father told you terrible news and yet… all I can do is touch you."

Her hands slid under his shirt and he stiffened, taking a deep breath. "If you strike down Grima, I can't touch you like this ever again. I don't want to lose you." His hands grasped the swells of her chest and she blushed hard. "I know… I know that stopping Grima was my highest priority but… now…"

"Please, Robin, choose me and live."

"… I'll try."

* * *

It felt strange, seeing familiar faces and the way they looked at him as he marched with arms bound. Frederick accompanied him everywhere, his stalwart but soft eyes looking at him. He said nothing to the man, for he knew he would hardly listen to him outside of battle orders. And when the time came to rest, in addition to the night watch a pair was always assigned to watch over his tent.

It wasn't like he could move anyway. They had chained his right hand to the tent post. And of course, no sharp blade or object was allowed to be within ten feet of him, not even a knife to cut food with. At most he was only allowed a practice sword while under strict supervision to ensure that his skill had not tapered off with his incarceration.

Still, in spite of all the regulations and vigilance, Lucina had snuck into his tent on more than one occasion. How she did it, he was never quite sure, but her stealthy appearances always seemed to be a pleasant surprise. With it she would either bring a kiss or a report, often both.

But tonight, what she brought was different.

"You're going to do it, aren't you?" Lucina said to him.

He didn't want to answer. It would come to nothing anyway.

Still, his lips parted. "It's the right thing to do, Lucina. I see everyone around me, who know that I hold the key to what they want and need."

"And you… you would just throw me away like that?" the way her voice wavered made his heart crack. He remembered a time where he promised her he would always be there, would always take care of her, and now…

Now it had to mean nothing to him.

"That's a harsh way to describe it, Lucina."

"Please, Robin," she begged, holding tightly to him, her voice muffled by his coat. "Don't take away the happiness I've finally found."

"I would love nothing more than to just stay here and be with you." He took in the scent of her hair, how it smelled earthy and soft, before he softly grasped her shoulders and pushed her away, pained by the tears that found its way onto her cheeks. "But I can't do that anymore."

"I'll say what I said to you on that field. Find someone who will-"

"I don't want anyone else!" she sobbed loudly. "I want you!" Lucina tried to move closer, but this time Robin's arms locked and held her in place. She looked up at him and it was like staring at a kicked puppy.

"No, Lucina. You can't."

"Hey, Robin, keep it down there." It was Stahl who lifted the tent flap, and Lucina was out of his hands faster than a mouse, the last he saw of her was her feet slipping out from beneath the sides of the tent canvas. "I know you're not… not in the best of shape right now, but you can't be yelling at this time of night."

He hadn't been yelling, but he took his advice anyway.

She never came to his tent again. But whenever he saw her, hiding away where only he could see her, she returned his gaze with an unreadable expression, as if wary of him.

* * *

Chrom visited him in his tent last night, perhaps for the very last time. Robin could tell that his friend was uneasy, but he made no effort to point it out to him. In the end, the lord left after several minutes of silence. And he knew why he wanted to speak with him.

For now, as they stood on the back of the soaring Fell Dragon, about to face off against hordes of Grimleal, there was no more time to talk. They had given him a blade that morning, and he knew what he had to do with it.

But what surprised him was that Lucina stood at the base of the dragon's neck, staring back at him with those same eyes. He should have expected it. Maybe he even knew it but denied it in his heart, considering how she acted around the others. The symptoms were all there, pointing to something more sinister, and yet he let himself be deluded by it.

She had died a long time ago, after all, not even gracing the world with a cry as she left her grieving mother's womb.

As they ran and cut their way to where Lucina was, she remained motionless. Her hands stayed planted on the Falchion, the tip of the blade resting on the giant scales they were on. And when they finally drew close, she wielded her sword and came towards the two of them.

The fighting was fierce. As the princess struck at them, they had to be wary of the countless amount of enemy soldiers around the two, just as eager to draw their blood as Lucina was. But they held steadfast. They needed to be steadfast, to make sure that after each blow, they stood and their enemies did not.

But Chrom was separated from the two by an errant kick from the woman. Grimleal surrounded moved to his position, blocking off the path of retreat for Robin and giving another obstacle for the Shepherds to overcome.

He had expected her to talk, to say something to him after all this time. Would she not try to goad him to surrender? Was she past all of it already? In the end, the two fought, him with heavy heart, knowing what he had to do, and her with determination.

But he had won purely by chance. Chrom had finally been able to break free of the Grimleal and dashed over to his side, plunging the blessed Falchion into Lucina's gut.

She cried out in anguish, losing the grip of her own blade as it clattered to the ground and slid off of Grima's back. When the lord pulled his sword out, she fell haphazardly to her knees and found herself staring at Robin.

"P-Please, no."

He had made his decision a long time ago.

"Finish him, Robin, or leave it to me. It's your decision."

Walking up to her, he grasped her by the shoulder and plunged his blade into her, before hesitating a moment and twisting it. She screamed in pain, begged him to stop, but he couldn't listen. Not to her, not now.

"Robin, please! I-… I love-"

Not anymore.

He gritted his teeth and he felt the energy in his body channel into his sword, a black, burning heat searing growing on it. She screamed. The dragon screamed.

And then it was over.

He could feel the power and his strength leaving him. The Grimleal around them stopped before they toppled off the side, no longer held in place by magic. With one last ounce of will, he dragged the blade out of her to the side and she collapsed, barely catching herself with her arm, wild blue hair splayed magnificently in the wind.

The smoke from her body turned purple.

Then her hair turned from Chrom's regal blue to match his pale white. Magic ground away at it until it was as short and messy as his before the rest of the it surrounding her body flickered.

In a fit of sneering hate and pain, his own face looked up at him before fading away, confirming what he always suspected and knew.

Lucina had been an illusion all along.

She had never contributed to the Shepherds. She never interacted with them, never talked to them, never addressed by them. He never saw her eat, never saw her sleep.

Looking at the blade in his hand, he remembered why Chrom ordered him kept in that cell, it all seemed so obvious now.

It happened after he stabbed himself that evening, talking to a tearful Lucina, a figment implanted by Grima into his own thoughts.

For the first in a long time, Robin could think clearly and he cried, his body becoming weak and crumbling to the floor as Naga whisked him back to land.

* * *

They were placed near the side of a grassy cliff, overlooking the crash site of the dragon they defeated. Chrom noticed, however, that Robin was situated just a bit further than the rest, at a higher point on the cliff. He slowly walked up, his limbs tired and burning, but he had to speak with Robin one last time.

His friend wasn't going to leave this place with him, and he wanted to be there to provide him with at least some peace. Stabbing Falchion into the ground, he took a seat next to his sobbing form, swathed in dark fading dark mist, and he finally found the energy to speak.

"Thank you, Robin."

The man lay there, crying hard, and he was unsure if he even noticed him speaking.

"I know we don't deserve it," he slowly said, "We didn't know what to do after we found you half dead in the field from your own sword, and we quarantined you like a madman. But it worked, and so it continued. I'm sorry we could barely treat you like a human."

His friend didn't respond, but as Chrom listened, he realized that the sobs had started to die down.

"It hurts, Chrom." Robin said through his tears. "I'm free, but it hurts. My mind is my own once more, but… she's… Lucina…"

"I know… I know."

"She's gone… she's gone."

He found himself unsure of what to say to the grieving, dying man, and so he found himself waylaying back to what he always asked him.

"Tell me about my daughter, Robin. Tell me about Lucina."

With a pained gasp Robin's lips parted without protest, and he started to describe her again.

"She has… She has your hair color." Robin struggled to say. "It's ni-nice and long… f-fits her position."

Chrom sat and listened for what would be the hundredth and last time, trying to envision just who it was Robin saw. His own eyes were closed, trying to see all the joy his friend shared with her.

"She… looks a little like her mother, but she's… she's got your nose."

He sniffled a little before continuing, his voice clinging to his own descriptions like they were his only possessions left in this world. "And in her left eye, she has the Mark of the Exalt," he struggled to say, "and it's… breathtaking to see, crystal clear."

"But I like the way she smiles." His voice cracked, a sad, forlorn smile wasted in tears forming on his own. "It's like she… It's like she's relearning how to do so… A-And though it's not always there, when it comes out… it's… it's…"

"Yes… beautiful." For the first time, Chrom saw his daughter, and he kept his eyes closed a little longer, imagining what it would have been like to raise her.

When he finally opened them, Robin was nowhere to be seen, and he was sure that wherever he was now, Lucina was there with him, in all the splendor and love that his friend described her with.

* * *

A/N: I don't hate Lucina. I don't hate Lucina. I don't hate Lucina. I don't hate Lucina. I don't hate Lucina.

I swear!

The particular idea of hallucination!Lucina (what do you know! You can't spell hallucinate without Lucina) came about some time in early January. Then I forgot about it for a while. But then it got coupled by an amazing picture of Risen!Shepherds, where the profile picture spawns from, and I started thinking about it again.

And then things hit maximum trollage of sorts and so I sat down on my day off and wrote the whole thing in roughly one day and sent the top portion to Dane Namor.

But yes! After some thinking about this, I suppose I gave myself the challenge fic of 'Make Lucina evil, but still make it RobinxLucina'. It wasn't that easy, but the most fun part was squeezing in clues that hinted towards Lucina not being real as well as Robin being cognizant that he was seeing things. My only regret of sorts is that this is so short.

Unfortunately, I do feel like I could have done a lot more with the idea, but I didn't have the time and the website only allows me to have five documents up on the site at once and I needed the upload space. This would also explain why it feels like updates are somewhat quick - a lot of what is being uploaded now was completed a little bit ago and has been burning a hole in my account.

If you call this a crackfic, you might be right. I honestly don't know. Still, as Dane Namor put it, I am now two for two in bait-and-switching RobinxLucina fans, and for that I am only mildly sorry that there are not more wtf fics like this. But one day, I suppose I can hope, I will write a real RobinxLucina fic.

I do not own Fire Emblem, and I appreciate all comments and criticism.

See you all soon.

Edit: Also get hype for Robin and Lucina in SSB4! NOW I CAN HAVE ROBIN KILL LUCINA DURING THE JUDGMENT SCENE FOREVER!

I don't hate Lucina.


End file.
